2) Most players don't see the character itself as an extension of themselves, but instead another person they simply control. I don't see my Draenei Paladin as "me", but instead a secondary character with hope, dreams, and loot that I helped her establish. If you don't understand the mindset, then imagine what a writer would do when they decide to write a story starring the opposite gender. J.K. Rowling didn't see herself as a "Female Harry Potter", she wrote him to be his own individual and treated him as such. This is even assuming they do story building and role-play.

Mostly this. Some people identify with their chars, make them like they are/what they would like to look like so they probably find weird to play with a different gender one. I just see mine as a videogame character, not as extension of myself. Is there something wrong if your favorite character in a movie is from your opposite gender?

I'm not sure how it works in 2012, but back in 2007 I was hit on a lot because I played a Blood Elf female paladin and people assumed I was a girl, which I'm not.
Anyway, picked female for similar reason as your friend's: well, actually, my problem wasn't that I minded looking at some guy's ass, but I would rather look at a female butt. Also, male Blood Elves look really retarded. Not much of a choice then.

Lots of humans play non-human toons for that exact same reason. I think you are being a little over dramatic.

My own personal opinion is that humans who play non-human toons for whatever reason are weird. It just doesn't feel right, and I don't understand why anyone would possibly do this. But hey that's just my opinion. I'm predicting some angry comments from humans with non-human characters because I expressed my opinion on an internet forum.

When the stats are the same, pick the one you like to look at the most. That's all.

in roughly 30-40 days played each i've never been "hit on" when on my belf priest and pally and again never been hit on in however long i've played on my panda female monk since mists launch. basically op your been a little silly and nieve to think majority of female characters you see in game are actually been played by females.

lol me it depends on the race, some male characters are putrid (night elf) some female characters are (dwarf, tauren, orc) so I play both gender depending on alts but my main was a female blood elf priest for the longuest time.

what you don't realise is, only people that feel treatened by their own sexual orientation would feel in danger by playing a female character. this is specially true for mens.

however I had a bunch of female friends with MALE toon and I believe their reason goes more along the lines of: I don't want people to think i'm feeble or weak so I hide behind a male toon and also avoid being flirted with.

I'm a woman and my main is a male Blood Elf, and he was formerly a male Troll. I just prefer the aesthetics of males on those two races, model-wise. I have a female Goblin, too. It often just boils down to the player's preference. Assuming somebody's sexuality by using the gender or race of their in-game character is stupid.

I just play what ever looks better for the race, so the likes of Pandaren the only option is female as the males just look horrid and stretch most of the armour, but then got the likes or orcs, tauren and goblins the males look better. it's all just about how they look, you don't want to be sitting looking at the back of something that looks horrid to you while you play.

Well for me, only aceptable moves as a male comes from undead, so most my chars are males ud's but got as well be female pally cus tauren looks funny as a pally for me and be male to gay for me, nothing to do with asses or bein male irl, i just need to like the way my toon attacks, moves,runs etc